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Adam Lind just happy to be back with Blue Jays

Former Silver Slugger rediscovers his stroke — and route to the gym — in Vegas.

After struggling badly to start the season, Adam Lind hit .392 with eight home runs in 32 games with the Jays' Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. He rejoined the Jays on Monday in Boston. (TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO / ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE)

By Brendan KennedySports Reporter

Mon., June 25, 2012

BOSTON—Adam Lind wasn’t in the Blue Jays’ starting lineup Monday night against Boston left-hander Felix Doubront — he won’t get many starts against lefties from here on in — but he was still all smiles before the game, just glad to be back in the big leagues.

“It took a little bit longer than I had hoped, but I’m back up here and I’m happy,” the 28-year-old said.

Lind was demoted to the Triple-A Las Vegas on May 17 after struggling badly to start the season, hitting .186 through the first 34 games. Lind’s slump dated all the way back to the midway point of 2011, when after hitting .300 in the first half, his batting average fell to .197 after the all-star break.

But the first baseman and designated hitter — who was a Silver Slugger in 2009 — said the change of scenery did him good. The time away from the big-league spotlight helped him refocus mentally, regain some confidence and smooth out the swing that once made him so successful.

“Things are different down in the minor leagues,” he said. “Mentally, physically, routines are different. It was nice to just kind of shake it up for about a month.”

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In Vegas, Lind got the chance to work with hitting coach Chad Mottola, a former teammate and coach. The pair have developed a strong rapport over the years and Lind has said previously that there’s no one in the organization that knows him better.

In an interview with the Star earlier this month, Mottola said Lind’s confidence had eroded so completely by the time he was sent down, he could barely hit off a tee. “Mentally he was fried.”

Under Mottola’s eye, Lind was able to “invest” in at-bats and figure some things out, without the pressure to produce every time he stepped up to the plate.

“There were at-bats there where I didn’t even really worry about swinging, just trying to feel comfortable,” Lind said.

He hit .392 with eight home runs and a 1.112 OPS through 32 games in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Lind said he feels as good as he has in his career, but acknowledged that nobody should get too excited about his minor-league numbers. Weaker pitching and less scouting — not to mention the thinner Nevada air — make Triple A “a whole different world” compared to the majors.

“There’s a reason why people are in the minors, because we’re not good enough to be in the big leagues.”

Earlier this month, Jays manager John Farrell revealed that part of the reason Lind was sent down was because of a lack of conditioning and physical fitness.

So not only was he asked to reboot mentally and repair his broken swing, he was also tasked to get in shape.

“I understood it from the beginning that was part of the agenda I had to address,” said Lind, who has never been fond of the gym. “Pretty much Monday through Friday, there was some sort of workout that I had to do.”

Farrell said Lind did everything that was asked of him and everything in his power to earn his way back.

“We felt like he needed to go there to get right, and he has, and his diligence, his work ethic, his compliance to everything that was put in front of him, both fundamentally and physically, he has responded to that in a very positive way.”

The plan for Lind’s return to the lineup, at least for the time being, will have him starting primarily against right-handed pitchers — in the sixth or seventh spot in the batting order — with Edwin Encarnacion moving to DH. Against lefties, Encarnacion will play first, Ben Francisco will DH and Lind would be a pinch-hitting option.

But it won’t be a set-in-stone platoon situation, Farrell said, pointing out that in Vegas, Lind actually hit better against left-handed pitchers (.429, compared to .381).

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